Project Goals
Bizyhood's Business Dashboard was where business owners spent their time managing their business details, events, and promotions and interacting with their customers. However, upon signing up, most new users bounced from the site entirely.
A new dashboard was needed to properly introduce new users to the site and build lasting relationships.
Understanding the Users
Working with Bizyhood, I was fortunate enough to have direct communication with many users which proved to be an invaluable resource. Working with the users I discovered that, although the sign up flow guided the user well, they became confused upon hitting the abrupt end and a blank dashboard.
Further, both the users and the analytic data told me that a responsive design was an absolute necessity. Most business owners wanted to check their interactions while on the go. Many didn't even own a computer.
The Root of the Problem
The old Dashboard Overview was essentially a placeholder&emdash;a purely text page introducing the dashboard. It gave no direction. Without that, the bounce rate was incredibly high. Recorded user sessions showed that a majority of users almost immediately exited the site.
This obviously was not acceptable. A new Dashboard Overview was needed to guide users through the application and show them what to do.
Focusing on Action
The new dashboard was designed to help users take action. Here's a few details:
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Universal Navigation
A collapsible sidebar navigation was introduced to allow the user to find key functionality anywhere they were on the site. It's also completely responsive for those on smaller devices.
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Clear Calls-to-Action
The old Dashboard gave users nothing to do. In the new design, calls-to-action were added to introduce users to features and help them learn to be proactive.
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Claim a Business
One of the most touted features was the ability to claim multiple businesses. At any time, the user could easily switch between their owned businesses or claim ownership of another.
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Guided Tour
On their first sign in, the user is presented with a guided tour overlay. It guided the user through a full setup of their profile and prompts them to get their onboarded. It's dismissable, for those who find such things annoying.
It's Responsive Too
Since a decent amount of Bizyhood's users were coming from mobile, it's very important that all features of the dashboard are accessible and usable on mobile devices.
The Results
After the redesign dashboard launched, the bounce rate for logged in business owners decreased substantially. Many users had a very positive reaction to the new guided tour and gained a better understanding of the app.
The revised responsive design resulted in a huge increase in engagement. In fact, some of the mobile users who tested the new design thought it was a native app. I'm pretty proud of that.
What I Learned
Empty states are a vital part of a user experience. Rather than presenting the user with a dead end, it's essential to show the features of the site, guide the user through the workflow, and seize the opportunity for engagement.